5 Foods to Help Detox Your Body - The Lifestyle Dietitian (2024)

FAQs

What foods help flush out toxins? ›

Just one more reason to eat your greens! Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, radish and collard greens contain unique compounds that can help support your body's ability to detox.

Most detoxification programs recommend removing highly processed foods and foods to which some people are sensitive, such as dairy, gluten, eggs, peanuts and red meat. They also recommend eating mostly organically grown vegetables, fruit, whole non-glutenous grains, nuts, seeds and lean protein.

For this reason, detox water is the perfect option for a detox drink before bedtime. Lemon is a natural detoxifier and strongly aids digestion. It contains high levels of vitamin C and blends in well with almost every ingredient—a bright, citrus addition to any nighttime detox drink.

For the three days of the detox, you could eat just whole foods, grains, fruits, and vegetables, and ingest no stimulants in order to give your body a break, relax the liver, detox the kidneys and adrenals, and enhance digestion. If you eat meat, you might want to try a vegetarian or vegan diet for a few days.

Whole grains are rich in fiber and will help to cleanse the colon. Oats, oatmeal, brown rice, and quinoa are all great sources. Try to incorporate 3 – 5 servings per day into your meals. Broccoli, cauliflower, kale, and most leafy greens are fiber-dense and are always healthy choices.

Many people avoid food with fat in it during a cleanse, but eating good fats from sources such as foods like avocado, raw nuts and seeds, and nut and seed butter is actually beneficial.

Vegetables such as spinach, kale and salad greens are important as they can provide the body with much needed vitamin B6, folic acid and beta-carotene. And, when it comes to fruit, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, pineapple and oranges are all high in vitamin C, making them great choices.

Whole grains like oats, brown rice and whole wheat bread are high in fiber, which is good for the gut. Healthy gut bacteria can help support a healthy liver and kidneys — the body's most important detox organs.

The healthiest way to flush your colon is to drink more water, increase your fiber intake, and make regular time for physical exercise. Try to have three or more bowel movements a week. Talk with a doctor about other ways to prevent constipation and avoid the overuse of laxatives.

What should I drink first in the morning to detox? ›

Lemon water and honey: Mix fresh lemon juice, one teaspoon of honey, and a pinch of salt with warm water and drink on an empty stomach in the morning. Juices and smoothies: These include fruit and vegetable juice fasts and cleanses. Juices made of apples, lemons, and aloe vera help in colon cleansing.

Start by filling your glass or your cup with warm water. Pour some apple cider vinegar into the water and stir the raw honey in as well. This mixture works best when you prepare it right before bed. Make sure to consume it right away.

Detoxing from alcohol or drugs involves removing toxic substances from the body while managing the withdrawal symptoms that occur simultaneously. Detoxing typically takes three to ten days. However, a more severe addiction can extend detox by several weeks or even months.

Lemons – Lemons are the ultimate detox fruit. In fact, one cup of fresh lemon juice provides 187 percent of your daily recommended serving of vitamin C! They also contain more potassium than apples and grapes. Squeeze some into your water in the morning and on top of fresh salads and fish to get the full benefit.